Beef in Red Wine Sauce

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

3 pound (1.5 kg) topside, blade or chuck steak
All-purpose (plain) flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 rashers bacon, sliced
1 cup red wine
1 cup water
1 large sprig thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
12 small white onions, peeled
8 ounces (250 g) mushrooms, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1. Cut steak into 2 inch (5 cm) pieces and dust with flour. Shake off excess. Melt butter and oil in a heavy casserole and brown steak pieces on all sides. Remove. Add bacon and stir over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Add red wine and water and bring to a simmer, stirring well. Return meat to pan, add thyme, bay leaf, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover and cook in a slow oven (300 degrees F/150 degrees C) for 1 1/2 hours.
2. Add onions and a little more water if necessary and cook for a further 20 minutes or until meat is very tender. Add mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked.

Serve sprinkled with parsley and accompanied by creamy mashed potato.